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Biblical Prophecy on Muhammad (pbuh) # 23
The Labourers
by Maulana Muhammad Idris Kandhlavi
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labour in his vineyard. And when he agreed with the labour for a penny a day, he sent them unto his vineyard . And he went out about the third hour, and saw other s standing idle in the market place, and said unto them :"Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about eleventh hour he went out , and found others standing idle, and said unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard said unto his Steward, call the labourers, an give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when they first came, they supposed that they should have received more and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, saying "These last have wrought but one hour and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he was answered one of them, and said, Friend , I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and so thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? In thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first shall be last; for many be called, but few chosen (Mathew 20 : 1- 16)
Here by the "householder" is meant God the almighty, by "the vineyard" the Divine faith and by "the labourers" are meant the followers of the prophets. And by "the group of the labourers who came last but worked an hour" is meant the followers of the Last prophet Muhammad (pbuh)-even the "chosen few" , the favoured people, Muslim Community, , "Ummah", that came last but stood first.
A Tradition
It is narrated by Ibn Shahhab that he heard from Salam and Salam heard from Abdullah bin 'Omer' that Abduallah bin Omar heard the Prophet saying that your (Muslims') stay in this world, in contrast to other people, is as from late afternoon to sun-set (from Asr toMaghrib). Those whom Torah was given, they started the work, (gave up by the midday, got tired) and received a carat each as wage: then came the people of the Gospel those whom the Gospel was given, they worked till afternoon and got tired, they also received a carat each then we were given the Qur'an , and we worked till sunset and received two carats each. Then the followers of the Torah and Gospel said, Lord! Thou gave them two carats and to us one, while we laboured longer. then God replied, "Have I wronged you in your wages ? They said: No Then. Allah said it is My Grace, I shewer on when I will (Sahih Bukhari, vol. i , p 79)
And thus, according to Mathew 20 :16,the last became first and the first last.
Again, according to Abu Huraira, the Holy Prophet is reported to have said:
"That in time we came last of all, but will be the first to enter paradise by the Grace of God"
(ICRA)